I'm sorry, but $13k down is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard someone doing on a lease!

Why? What if I were to pay forward the full lease at $41,500 for 15K/year and 36 months? I still negotiate the best price before leasing and have an option to buy when the lease comes to an end. By the way, this is on a sedan that is fully loaded with 19" wheels.

Why? What if I were to pay forward the full lease at $41,500 for 15K/year and 36 months? I still negotiate the best price before leasing and have an option to buy when the lease comes to an end. By the way, this is on a sedan that is fully loaded with 19" wheels.

If the M3 is wrecked and totaled two days after you get it you'll lose the $13K you put down on it.

Best leasing strategy when factors are good is to put as close to $0 down as possible. When the terms are crappy, as they currently are on the M3's, I really do not know what the best strategy for leasing is.

Those number I put are from my dealer, VOB in MD so they are legit, this is towards an msrp of 65800. I would be outraged to pay anymore than that honestly. 1300 a month with 3500 down is M5 territory. The m3 comes pretty close to that and it costs almost 20 k less.

Why would you lose your money if it were wrecked? What if I purchased the car and then I wrecked the car? I would obviously carry insurance. What is the difference between owning and leasing when it comes to using insurance?

Why would you lose your money if it were wrecked? What if I purchased the car and then I wrecked the car? I would obviously carry insurance. What is the difference between owning and leasing when it comes to using insurance?

you are not paying towards the car but the value (depreciation) of which you use it. There is no equity involved such as in purchasing a car.

So, if you had $45,000 saved towards a new car, what would you do? I didn't want to make any payments while driving the car. I also may decide to buy the car at the end of lease.

If you have $45K you want to put towards the car, finance it at 5% interest, BMWs leasing factors are currently outrageous. You can then sell the car whenever you want, you will never be upside down. I probably would still not put $45K down with interest rates as low as they are. Put the cash in an investment and just make higher payments. My bet is you can get better than 5% return on your money over 3 or so years.